US20050050686A1 - Two-shaft hinge structure - Google Patents
Two-shaft hinge structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050050686A1 US20050050686A1 US10/877,207 US87720704A US2005050686A1 US 20050050686 A1 US20050050686 A1 US 20050050686A1 US 87720704 A US87720704 A US 87720704A US 2005050686 A1 US2005050686 A1 US 2005050686A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- gear
- shaft
- housing halves
- image pickup
- hinge structure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
- H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
- H04M1/0206—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
- H04M1/0208—Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
- H04M1/0214—Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
- H04M1/0216—Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
- H04M1/022—The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1616—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
- G06F1/1618—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
- G06F1/1679—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
- G06F1/1681—Details related solely to hinges
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1684—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
- G06F1/1686—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
- E05D11/00—Additional features or accessories of hinges
- E05D11/10—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts
- E05D11/1028—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts for maintaining the hinge in two or more positions, e.g. intermediate or fully open
- E05D11/1078—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts for maintaining the hinge in two or more positions, e.g. intermediate or fully open the maintaining means acting parallel to the pivot
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
- E05D3/00—Hinges with pins
- E05D3/06—Hinges with pins with two or more pins
- E05D3/12—Hinges with pins with two or more pins with two parallel pins and one arm
- E05D3/122—Gear hinges
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS AND DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION, CHECKS FOR WINGS AND WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- E05Y2900/00—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
- E05Y2900/60—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof for other use
- E05Y2900/606—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof for other use for electronic devices
Definitions
- the present invention relates to hinge structures, and image pickup apparatus and portable electronic apparatus using the hinge structures.
- folding electronic apparatus such as, for example, cellular phones, PHSs (R), PDAs, note type PCs and digital cameras whose housing halves are connected by a hinge structure have been proposed and put to practical use.
- one housing half thereof can be rotated relative to the other housing half.
- the rotational angle reaches a predetermined value, adjacent ends of the two housing halves will obstruct each other, thereby making it impossible to cause one housing half to rotate through 360 degrees relative to the other.
- one housing half of the apparatus can be rotated through 180 degrees in one direction around the first shaft while the other housing half is being rotated around the second shaft through 180 degrees in the other direction.
- the one housing half can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to the other.
- the image pickup apparatus or portable electronic apparatus employing the prior art two-shaft hinge structure has a composition by which the two housing halves are rotated separately and independently around the respective shafts. Thus, complicated operation is required for rotating the two housing halves separately. Since the rotation of the respective housing halves change depending on the user's manner of operation thereof, opening and closing of the housing halves can often be unstable.
- the present invention provides a hinge structure comprising:
- the present invention provides an image pickup apparatus comprising:
- the present invention provides a portable electronic apparatus comprising:
- FIG. 1 is a plan view of an image pickup apparatus (digital camera) of an embodiment 1 according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the digital camera of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the digital camera of FIG. 1 in a portable state
- FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the digital camera of FIG. 3A in which a first and a second housing half are each rotated through 90 degrees;
- FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the digital camera of FIG. 1 in an image pickup state
- FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a two-shaft hinge structure provided in the digital camera of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 4A ;
- FIG. 5 illustrates rotational angles of a first and a second gear of FIGS. 4A and 4B ;
- FIG. 6 illustrates rotation of the two-shaft hinge structure of FIGS. 4A and 4B ;
- FIG. 7A illustrates a gap provided between the first and second housing halves of the digital camera of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 8A is a front view of a modification of the gears of the two-shaft hinge structure of the embodiment 1;
- FIG. 8B is a side view of the modification of the gears of FIG. 8A ;
- FIG. 9A is a front view of a second modification of the two-shaft hinge structure of the first embodiment
- FIG. 9B is a side view of the second modification of the gears of FIG. 9A ;
- FIG. 10 illustrates rotation of an image pickup apparatus (digital camera) of an embodiment 2 of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a plan view of an image pickup apparatus (a cellular phone with a camera) as an embodiment 3 of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 is a plan view of the digital camera 1 in an open state.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 in the open state.
- FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 in which the inner surface of a first housing half 10 thereof faces that of a second housing half 20 thereof in a close state (hereinafter referred to as a portable state).
- FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 in which the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are opened relative to each other from the portable state of FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 in which the outer surfaces of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are put back to back with each other (this state is hereinafter referred to as an image pickup state).
- the digital camera 1 has a two-shaft hinge structure 30 that couples the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 rotatably.
- the components of the camera 1 housed within the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are connected electrically by a FPC cable (not shown) to each other.
- the first housing half 10 has substantially a thin parallelepiped body of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel.
- the first housing half 10 has an image pickup unit 11 including a lens 11 a and a CCD (not shown), a card slot unit 12 that receives a memory card M on which acquired image information and other data are recorded, a strobe (not shown) that illumines an object with light in a dark place for image pickup purpose, a self timer lamp (not shown) for reporting an image pickup timing to the user when automatic image pickup is to be performed, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the whole digital camera 1 .
- the lens 11 a of the image pickup unit 11 is positioned on the image pickup unit 11 such that its front appears when the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are opened.
- the control unit comprises a CPU that controls the whole digital camera 1 , a ROM that has stored various control programs, a RAM that comprises a work area on which image information is temporarily stored and which a control program is temporarily developed.
- the control unit is connected electrically to the image pickup unit 11 and the card slot unit 12 .
- the control unit is connected through the FPC cable to the display unit 21 and the operation unit of the second housing half 20 .
- the control unit receives an operation signal from the operation unit, it controls the image pickup unit 11 to perform predetermined image pickup operation.
- the second housing half 20 also has a thin parallelepiped body of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel.
- the second housing half 20 has a display unit 21 that displays a still image of an object and an animation image, the operation unit (not shown) that comprises a shutter key (not shown) for image pickup purpose and function keys (not shown) to select a mode, and a finder eye piece (not shown).
- the display unit 21 and the operation unit are electrically connected by the FPC cable to the control unit of the first housing half 10 and controlled by the control unit, as described above.
- the two-shaft hinge structure 30 comprises a first shaft 31 fixed to the first housing half 10 along an edge of the first housing half 10 , a first gear 31 b provided on the outer periphery of the first shaft 31 , a second shaft 32 fixed to the second housing half 20 along an edge of the second housing half 20 parallel to the first shaft 31 , a second gear 32 b provided on the outer periphery of the second shaft 32 and meshing with the first gear 31 b , and a first ring 33 and a second ring 34 that support the first and second shafts 31 and 32 , respectively, in a rotatable state.
- the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b fixed to the outer peripheries of the first and second shafts 31 and 32 are arranged to rotate through the same angle in opposite directions.
- the details of the structure of the two-shaft hinge structure 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4-7 later.
- FIG. 3B illustrates that the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 (the first and second gears 31 a and 32 a ) have rotated through 90 degrees in the directions of arrows A and B, respectively, from the state of FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 3C illustrates that the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 (the first and second gears 31 a and 32 a ) have rotated through 180 degrees in the directions of arrows A and B, respectively, from the state of FIG. 3A .
- the inner surfaces of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are close to each other such that the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 are hidden within the digital camera 1 ( FIG. 3A ).
- the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 are turned over through the hinge structure 30 such the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 are exposed outside ( FIG. 3C ).
- FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the two-shaft hinge structure 30 .
- FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 4A .
- FIG. 5 illustrates rotational angles of the first and second gears 31 a and 32 a .
- FIG. 6 illustrates operation of the two-shaft hinge structure 30 .
- FIG. 7A illustrates a gap provided between the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 .
- FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 7A .
- the first gear 31 b comprises a first spur gear provided on a first cylinder 31 a composing a middle portion of the length of the first shaft 31 ( FIG. 4A ).
- the first cylinder 31 a and the first gear 31 b rotate together with the first shaft 31 .
- the first ring 33 , the first cylinder 31 a and the first gear 31 b are always pressed against the second ring 34 by a first coil spring 31 c fitted over the first shaft 31 ( FIG. 4B ).
- the second gear 32 b comprises a spur gear provided on a second cylinder 32 a composing a middle portion of the length of the second shaft 32 ( FIG. 4A ).
- the second cylinder 32 a and the second gear 32 b rotate together with the second shaft 32 .
- the first and second rings 33 and 34 rotatably abut on the opposite ends of the second cylinder 32 a .
- the first ring 33 , the second cylinder 32 a and the second gear 32 b are always pressed against the second ring 34 by a second coil spring 32 c fitted over the second shaft 32 ( FIG. 4B ).
- the first and second cylinders 31 a and 32 a have axial protrusions 31 d and 32 d provided on the peripheries of the first ring 33 side ends, respectively, thereof.
- the first ring 33 has recesses 33 a provided on its end on the sides of the first and second cylinders 31 a and 32 a and receiving the protrusions 31 d and 32 d . As shown in FIG. 4B , the recesses 33 a have relatively easy slopes.
- the protrusions 31 d and 32 d of the first and second cylinders 31 a and 32 a reach near the slopes of the first ring recesses 33 a , the protrusions 31 d and 32 d move into the recesses 33 a as if they were sucked into the respective recesses.
- the number of axial protrusions 31 d provided on the periphery of the end of the first cylinder 31 a is two. Each time the first cylinder 31 a rotates through 180 degrees, the protrusions 31 d are fitted into the respective recesses 33 a in the first ring 33 .
- the number of axial protrusions 32 d provided on the periphery of the end of the second cylinder 32 a is two. Each time the second cylinder 32 a rotates through 180 degrees, the protrusions 32 d are fitted into the respective recesses 33 a in the first ring 33 .
- the numbers of first and second cylinder protrusions 31 d and 32 d are not especially limitative in the present invention.
- first cylinder protrusions 31 d are fitted into the first ring recesses 33 a , rotation of the first shaft 31 and the first housing half 10 fixed to the first shaft 31 is temporarily restricted.
- second cylinder protrusions 32 d are fitted into the second ring recesses 33 a , rotation of the second shaft 32 and the second housing half 20 fixed to the second shaft 32 is temporarily restricted.
- the first cylinder protrusions 31 d , the second cylinder protrusions 32 d and the first ring recesses 33 a compose a rotation restricting mechanism in the present invention.
- a clicking ring 35 is fixed in a fitted state to the second ring 34 side end of each of the first and second cylinders 31 a and 32 a .
- the clicking ring 35 has axial protrusions (not shown) on a periphery of an end thereof protruding toward the second ring 34 .
- the second ring 34 has recesses provided on an end thereof on the sides of the first and second cylinders 31 a 32 a thereof for receiving the clicking ring 35 protrusions in a fitted/engaged state.
- the number of axial protrusions provided on the periphery of the end of each of the clicking rings 35 is four.
- the number of axial recesses provided on the periphery of the end of the second ring 34 is eight (four on the side of each of the first cylinders 31 a and 32 a ).
- the number of axial protrusions provided on the clicking ring 35 and the number of axial recesses provided on the second ring 34 are not especially limitative in the present invention.
- the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b provided respectively on the first and second shafts 31 and 32 have the same number of teeth and the same pitch (or gap between teeth) ( FIG. 5 ).
- the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b rotate through the same angle in opposite directions.
- the rotational angles ⁇ a and ⁇ b of the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b are equal to those of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 , respectively.
- an angle between the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 be ⁇ ab .
- the angle ⁇ ab between the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 can vary through 0-360 degrees (“a”-“d” of FIG. 6 ).
- the FIG. 6 “a” state corresponds to that of FIG. 3A .
- the FIG. 6 “d” state corresponds to that of FIG. 3C .
- the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b provided on the first and second shafts 31 and 32 fixed to the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 , respectively, are arranged to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ).
- the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 can be rotated simultaneously in opposite directions around the first and second shafts 31 b and 32 b , respectively.
- first and second housing halves 10 and 20 separately are rotated simultaneously in very simple operation.
- first housing half 10 can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to the second housing half 20 . Since the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 rotate in conjunction with each other, the opening/closing operation of the housing is stabilized.
- first and second housing halves 10 and 20 can be rotated through the same angle in opposite directions ( FIG. 5 ).
- the rotation restricting mechanism (comprising the first cylinder protrusions 31 d , the second cylinder protrusions 32 d , the first ring recesses 33 a , the clicking ring 35 protrusions, and the second ring 34 recesses) can temporarily restrict the rotation of the first and second gears 31 b and 32 b at intervals of a predetermined angle.
- rotation of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 can be restricted temporarily at intervals of a predetermined angle ⁇ ab (for example, of 0, 180 or 360 degrees).
- the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 that have the image pickup unit 11 and the display 21 , respectively, are connected through the two-shaft hinge structure 30 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ).
- the two housing halves 10 and 20 can be rotated through the two-shaft hinge structure 30 such that the inner surfaces of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 on which the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 are provided, respectively, face each other in a close state ( FIG. 3A ).
- the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 are protected from being damaged.
- the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 can be exposed back to back with each other so as to face in opposite directions ( FIG. 3B ).
- the image pickup unit 11 and the display unit 21 can be used for image pickup purpose.
- the space between the first and second shafts 31 and 32 as the centers of rotation of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 will not fluctuate.
- a gap S is provided between the adjacent ends of the first and second housing halves 10 and 20 ( FIGS. 7A and 7B ).
- first and second spur gears 31 b and 32 b of the two-shaft hinge structure 30 are illustrated as directly meshing with each other to rotate themselves simultaneously in opposite directions, the present invention is not limited to such specified structure.
- the digital camera may comprise an arrangement in which an intermediate bevel gear 36 is provided between, and in meshing relationship to, a first and a second bevel gear 31 ⁇ and 32 ⁇ that are in turn provided on the first and second parallel shafts 31 and 32 , respectively, to thereby rotate the first and second gears 31 ⁇ and 32 ⁇ simultaneously in opposite directions;
- two intermediate meshing spur gears 37 and 38 may be provided between, and in meshing relationship to, a first and a second spur 0gear 31 ⁇ and 32 ⁇ so as to rotate the first and second gears 31 ⁇ and 32 ⁇ simultaneously in opposite directions.
- a digital camera 1 A of an embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 10 , which illustrates rotation of the housing halves of the camera.
- the digital camera 1 A of this embodiment has the same structure as the digital camera 1 of the first embodiment excluding that the digital camera 1 A is different in thickness, gear diameter and number of gear teeth from the camera 1 , and further description thereof will be omitted.
- the digital camera 1 A has a two-shaft hinge structure 30 A that rotatably couples a first and a second housing half 10 A and 20 A that have an image pickup unit and a display unit, respectively.
- the first housing half 10 A has three times the thickness of the second housing half 20 A (“a” of FIG. 10 ).
- the two-shaft hinge structure 30 A comprises a first shaft 31 A fixed to the first housing half 10 A along an edge of the first housing half 10 A, a first gear 31 B provided on the outer periphery of the first shaft 31 A, a second shaft 32 A fixed to the second housing half 20 A along an edge of the second housing half 20 A parallel to the first shaft 31 A, and a second gear 32 B provided on the outer periphery of the second shaft 32 A and meshing with the first gear 31 B.
- the first gear 31 B has approximately twice the diameter of the second gear 32 B (“a” of FIG. 10 ).
- the first gear 31 B also has approximately twice the number of teeth of the second gear 32 B.
- a rotational angle ⁇ c of the first gear 31 B is approximately half of the rotational angle ⁇ d of the second gear 32 B.
- the first and second gears 31 B and 32 B provided on the first and second shafts 31 A and 32 A fixed to the first and second housing halves 10 A and 20 A, respectively, are arranged to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
- the first and second housing halves 10 A and 20 A can be rotated simultaneously in opposite directions around the first and second shafts 31 B and 32 B, respectively.
- first and second housing halves 10 A and 20 A separately are not required. That is, the two housing halves can be rotated simultaneously in very simple operation.
- first housing half 10 A can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to the second housing half 20 A (“a”-“d” in FIG. 10 ). Since the first and second housing halves 10 A and 20 A rotate in conjunction with each other, the opening/closing operation of the housing is stabilized.
- first and second housing halves 10 and 20 can be rotated through the same angle in opposite directions.
- the two gears are different in diameter and number of teeth such that the housing halves ( 10 A and 20 A) different in thickness can be employed.
- a limitation to the thicknesses of the housing halves is eliminated to thereby improve the flexibility of design.
- FIG. 11 is a plan view of the cellular phone 1 B in an open state
- a third embodiment of the present invention directed to a folding electronic apparatus and more particularly a folding cellular phone 1 B with a camera having a two-shaft hinge structure 30 B will be described.
- the cellular phone 1 B has a two-shaft hinge structure 30 B that rotatably couples the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B that have a display unit 11 B and an image pickup unit 21 B, an operation unit 22 B, respectively.
- the components of the cellular phone 1 B housed within the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B are connected electrically by an FPC cable (not shown) to each other.
- the first housing half 10 B has the display unit 11 B that displays still images and an animation of an object, and a speaker 12 B.
- the second housing half 20 B has the image pickup unit 21 B composed of a lens and a CCD, the operation unit 22 B composed of a cross key and alphanumerical keys, a microphone 23 B and a control unit (not shown) that controls the whole cellular phone 1 B.
- the control unit is connected electrically to the image pickup unit 21 B and the operation unit 22 B.
- the control unit is connected electrically to the display unit 11 B of the first housing half 10 B through a FPC cable.
- the two-shaft hinge structure 30 B comprises a first gear provided on a first shaft that is in turn provided on the first housing half 10 B, a second gear provided on a second shaft that is in turn provided on the second housing half 20 B and meshing with the first gear, and a rotation restricting mechanism.
- the two-shaft hinge structure 30 B is substantially the same in composition as the two-shaft hinge structure 30 ( FIGS. 1-6 ) of the first embodiment.
- the first and second gears provided on the first and second shafts of the second and first housing halves 10 B and 20 B, respectively, are arranged to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
- the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B can be rotated in opposite directions around the first and second shafts, respectively.
- first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B separately is not required and the two housing halves can be rotated simultaneously in a very simple manner such that the first housing half 10 B is rotated through 360 degrees relative to the second housing half 20 B. Since the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B are rotated in conjunction with each other, the opening/closing operation of the housing is stabilized.
- the first and second gears have the same number of teeth and the same pitch.
- the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B can be rotated through the same angle in opposite directions.
- the rotation restricting mechanism temporarily restricts rotation of the first and second gears and hence the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B in intervals of a predetermined rotational angle (for example, of 0, 180 or 360 degrees).
- the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B that have the display unit 11 B and the image pickup unit 21 B, respectively, are connected through the two-shaft hinge structure 30 B.
- the two housing halves 10 B and 20 B can be rotated through the two-shaft hinge structure 30 B such that the inner surfaces of the first and second housing halves 10 B and 20 B on which the display unit 11 B and the image pickup unit 21 B are provided, respectively, face each other in a close state.
- the display unit 11 B and the image pickup unit 21 B are protected from being damaged.
- the display unit 11 B and the image pickup unit 21 B can be exposed back to back with each other so as to face in opposite directions.
- the display unit 11 B and the image pickup unit 21 B can be used for image pickup purpose.
- the present invention is applicable to other folding image pickup apparatus (for example, folding PHSs (R) with a camera and folding PDAs with a camera) having structures similar to those of the digital cameras 1 and 1 A, and the cellular phone 1 B with a camera.
- folding PHSs R
- folding PDAs PDA
Abstract
A hinge structure coupling housing halves and of a device rotatably. The hinge structure comprises a first shaft fixed to the first housing half, a first gear provided on the first shaft, a second shaft fixed to the second housing half, and a second gear provided on the second shaft. The first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second gears rotate simultaneously in opposite directions. When the device is an image pickup device 1, its housing halves that have an image pickup unit and a display unit, respectively, are coupled rotatably through the hinge structure.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to hinge structures, and image pickup apparatus and portable electronic apparatus using the hinge structures.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In the past, folding electronic apparatus such as, for example, cellular phones, PHSs (R), PDAs, note type PCs and digital cameras whose housing halves are connected by a hinge structure have been proposed and put to practical use.
- In the past, some image pickup apparatus that employ a hinge structure by which one of its housing halves is connected through a rotating shaft to the other housing half have been proposed. Recently, two-shaft hinge structures having two rotating shafts have been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Publication 2000-98470,
page 3,FIG. 2 ). - When an image pickup apparatus or portable electronic apparatus employs a hinge structure having a single rotating shaft, one housing half thereof can be rotated relative to the other housing half. However, when the rotational angle reaches a predetermined value, adjacent ends of the two housing halves will obstruct each other, thereby making it impossible to cause one housing half to rotate through 360 degrees relative to the other.
- On the other hand, when the image pickup apparatus or a portable electronic apparatus employs the prior art two-shaft hinge structure, one housing half of the apparatus can be rotated through 180 degrees in one direction around the first shaft while the other housing half is being rotated around the second shaft through 180 degrees in the other direction. Thus, as a result the one housing half can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to the other. Since the image pickup apparatus or portable electronic apparatus employing the prior art two-shaft hinge structure has a composition by which the two housing halves are rotated separately and independently around the respective shafts. Thus, complicated operation is required for rotating the two housing halves separately. Since the rotation of the respective housing halves change depending on the user's manner of operation thereof, opening and closing of the housing halves can often be unstable.
- In one preferable aspect, the present invention provides a hinge structure comprising:
-
- a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of a device;
- a first gear provided on the first shaft;
- a second shaft fixed to a second one of the housing halves; and
- a second gear provided on the second shaft,
- wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
- In another preferable aspect, the present invention provides an image pickup apparatus comprising:
-
- a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of the apparatus, the first housing half having an image pickup unit provided thereon;
- a first gear provided on the first shaft;
- a second shaft fixed to a second one of the housing halves, the second housing half having a display unit provided thereon; and
- a second gear provided on the second shaft,
- wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
- In still another preferable aspect, the present invention provides a portable electronic apparatus comprising:
-
- a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of the apparatus, the first housing half having a key-in unit provided thereon;
- a first gear provided on the first shaft;
- a second shaft fixed to a second one of housing halves of the apparatus, the second housing half having a display unit provided thereon; and
- a second gear provided on the second shaft,
- wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
- The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an image pickup apparatus (digital camera) of anembodiment 1 according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the digital camera ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the digital camera ofFIG. 1 in a portable state; -
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the digital camera ofFIG. 3A in which a first and a second housing half are each rotated through 90 degrees; -
FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the digital camera ofFIG. 1 in an image pickup state; -
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a two-shaft hinge structure provided in the digital camera ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a part B ofFIG. 4A ; -
FIG. 5 illustrates rotational angles of a first and a second gear ofFIGS. 4A and 4B ; -
FIG. 6 illustrates rotation of the two-shaft hinge structure ofFIGS. 4A and 4B ; -
FIG. 7A illustrates a gap provided between the first and second housing halves of the digital camera ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a part B ofFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 8A is a front view of a modification of the gears of the two-shaft hinge structure of theembodiment 1; -
FIG. 8B is a side view of the modification of the gears ofFIG. 8A ; -
FIG. 9A is a front view of a second modification of the two-shaft hinge structure of the first embodiment; -
FIG. 9B is a side view of the second modification of the gears ofFIG. 9A ; -
FIG. 10 illustrates rotation of an image pickup apparatus (digital camera) of anembodiment 2 of the present invention; and -
FIG. 11 is a plan view of an image pickup apparatus (a cellular phone with a camera) as anembodiment 3 of the present invention. - The same reference numerals are used to denote like parts in the accompanying drawings.
- (Embodiment 1)
- Referring to
FIG. 1-3 , the whole structure of adigital camera 1 as anembodiment 1 will be described.FIG. 1 is a plan view of thedigital camera 1 in an open state.FIG. 2 is a perspective view of thedigital camera 1 in the open state.FIG. 3A is a perspective view of thedigital camera 1 in which the inner surface of afirst housing half 10 thereof faces that of asecond housing half 20 thereof in a close state (hereinafter referred to as a portable state).FIG. 3B is a perspective view of thedigital camera 1 in which the first andsecond housing halves FIG. 3A .FIG. 3C is a perspective view of thedigital camera 1 in which the outer surfaces of the first andsecond housing halves - The
digital camera 1 has a two-shaft hinge structure 30 that couples the first andsecond housing halves camera 1 housed within the first and second housing halves10 and 20 are connected electrically by a FPC cable (not shown) to each other. - As shown in FIGS.
1 and 2, thefirst housing half 10 has substantially a thin parallelepiped body of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel. Thefirst housing half 10 has animage pickup unit 11 including alens 11 a and a CCD (not shown), acard slot unit 12 that receives a memory card M on which acquired image information and other data are recorded, a strobe (not shown) that illumines an object with light in a dark place for image pickup purpose, a self timer lamp (not shown) for reporting an image pickup timing to the user when automatic image pickup is to be performed, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the wholedigital camera 1. Thelens 11 a of theimage pickup unit 11 is positioned on theimage pickup unit 11 such that its front appears when the first andsecond housing halves - The control unit comprises a CPU that controls the whole
digital camera 1, a ROM that has stored various control programs, a RAM that comprises a work area on which image information is temporarily stored and which a control program is temporarily developed. The control unit is connected electrically to theimage pickup unit 11 and thecard slot unit 12. The control unit is connected through the FPC cable to thedisplay unit 21 and the operation unit of thesecond housing half 20. When the control unit receives an operation signal from the operation unit, it controls theimage pickup unit 11 to perform predetermined image pickup operation. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , thesecond housing half 20 also has a thin parallelepiped body of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel. Thesecond housing half 20 has adisplay unit 21 that displays a still image of an object and an animation image, the operation unit (not shown) that comprises a shutter key (not shown) for image pickup purpose and function keys (not shown) to select a mode, and a finder eye piece (not shown). As described above, thedisplay unit 21 and the operation unit are electrically connected by the FPC cable to the control unit of thefirst housing half 10 and controlled by the control unit, as described above. - The two-
shaft hinge structure 30 comprises afirst shaft 31 fixed to thefirst housing half 10 along an edge of thefirst housing half 10, afirst gear 31 b provided on the outer periphery of thefirst shaft 31, asecond shaft 32 fixed to thesecond housing half 20 along an edge of thesecond housing half 20 parallel to thefirst shaft 31, asecond gear 32 b provided on the outer periphery of thesecond shaft 32 and meshing with thefirst gear 31 b, and afirst ring 33 and asecond ring 34 that support the first andsecond shafts - The first and
second gears second shafts shaft hinge structure 30 will be described with reference toFIGS. 4-7 later. - When an external force acts on the
digital camera 1 in the portable state (FIG. 3A ) so as to separate the first andsecond housing halves second gears shaft hinge structure 30 rotate by the same angle in the opposite directions. As a result, the first andsecond housing halves second gears -
FIG. 3B illustrates that the first andsecond housing halves 10 and 20 (the first andsecond gears FIG. 3A .FIG. 3C illustrates that the first andsecond housing halves 10 and 20 (the first andsecond gears FIG. 3A . - When the
digital camera 1 is in the portable state, the inner surfaces of the first andsecond housing halves image pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 are hidden within the digital camera 1 (FIG. 3A ). When thedigital camera 1 picks up an image of an object, the first andsecond housing halves hinge structure 30 such theimage pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 are exposed outside (FIG. 3C ). - Next, referring to
FIGS. 4-7 , the composition of the two-shaft hinge structure 30 of thedigital camera 1 will be described in detail.FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the two-shaft hinge structure 30.FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a part B ofFIG. 4A .FIG. 5 illustrates rotational angles of the first andsecond gears FIG. 6 illustrates operation of the two-shaft hinge structure 30.FIG. 7A illustrates a gap provided between the first andsecond housing halves FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a part B ofFIG. 7A . - The
first gear 31 b comprises a first spur gear provided on afirst cylinder 31 a composing a middle portion of the length of the first shaft 31 (FIG. 4A ). Thefirst cylinder 31 a and thefirst gear 31 b rotate together with thefirst shaft 31. A first and asecond ring second shafts first cylinder 31 a (FIG. 4B ). Thefirst ring 33, thefirst cylinder 31 a and thefirst gear 31 b are always pressed against thesecond ring 34 by afirst coil spring 31 c fitted over the first shaft 31 (FIG. 4B ). - The
second gear 32 b comprises a spur gear provided on asecond cylinder 32 a composing a middle portion of the length of the second shaft 32 (FIG. 4A ). Thesecond cylinder 32 a and thesecond gear 32 b rotate together with thesecond shaft 32. The first andsecond rings second cylinder 32 a. Thefirst ring 33, thesecond cylinder 32 a and thesecond gear 32 b are always pressed against thesecond ring 34 by asecond coil spring 32 c fitted over the second shaft 32 (FIG. 4B ). - The first and
second cylinders axial protrusions first ring 33 side ends, respectively, thereof. Thefirst ring 33 hasrecesses 33 a provided on its end on the sides of the first andsecond cylinders protrusions FIG. 4B , therecesses 33 a have relatively easy slopes. Thus, when theprotrusions second cylinders protrusions recesses 33 a as if they were sucked into the respective recesses. - More particularly, the number of
axial protrusions 31 d provided on the periphery of the end of thefirst cylinder 31 a is two. Each time thefirst cylinder 31 a rotates through 180 degrees, theprotrusions 31 d are fitted into therespective recesses 33 a in thefirst ring 33. Likewise, the number ofaxial protrusions 32 d provided on the periphery of the end of thesecond cylinder 32 a is two. Each time thesecond cylinder 32 a rotates through 180 degrees, theprotrusions 32 d are fitted into therespective recesses 33 a in thefirst ring 33. The numbers of first andsecond cylinder protrusions - As described above, when the
first cylinder protrusions 31 d are fitted into the first ring recesses 33 a, rotation of thefirst shaft 31 and thefirst housing half 10 fixed to thefirst shaft 31 is temporarily restricted. Likewise, when thesecond cylinder protrusions 32 d are fitted into the second ring recesses 33 a, rotation of thesecond shaft 32 and thesecond housing half 20 fixed to thesecond shaft 32 is temporarily restricted. Thefirst cylinder protrusions 31 d, thesecond cylinder protrusions 32 d and the first ring recesses 33 a compose a rotation restricting mechanism in the present invention. - A clicking
ring 35 is fixed in a fitted state to thesecond ring 34 side end of each of the first andsecond cylinders ring 35 has axial protrusions (not shown) on a periphery of an end thereof protruding toward thesecond ring 34. Thesecond ring 34 has recesses provided on an end thereof on the sides of the first andsecond cylinders 31 a 32 a thereof for receiving the clickingring 35 protrusions in a fitted/engaged state. - The number of axial protrusions provided on the periphery of the end of each of the clicking
rings 35 is four. The number of axial recesses provided on the periphery of the end of thesecond ring 34 is eight (four on the side of each of thefirst cylinders second cylinders ring 35 and the number of axial recesses provided on thesecond ring 34 are not especially limitative in the present invention. - As described above, when the clicking
ring 35 protrusions are fitted and engaged in the recesses on thesecond ring 34, rotation of thefirst shaft 31 and thefirst housing half 10 fixed to thefirst shaft 31 is temporarily restricted as well as rotation of thesecond shaft 32 and thesecond housing half 20 fixed to thesecond shaft 32 is temporarily restricted. The clickingring 35 protrusions and thesecond ring 34 recesses compose a rotation restricting mechanism in the present invention. - In the embodiment, the first and
second gears second shafts FIG. 5 ). Thus, the first andsecond gears second gears second gears FIG. 3A ) be θa and θb, respectively. Then, θa=θb (FIG. 5 ). - The rotational angles θa and θb of the first and
second gears second housing halves second housing halves FIG. 5 ). The angle θab between the first andsecond housing halves FIG. 6 ). TheFIG. 6 “a” state corresponds to that ofFIG. 3A . TheFIG. 6 “d” state corresponds to that ofFIG. 3C . - In the two-
shaft hinge structure 30 of thisdigital camera 1, the first andsecond gears second shafts second housing halves FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Thus, the first andsecond housing halves second shafts - Thus, complicated operation to rotate the first and
second housing halves first housing half 10 can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to thesecond housing half 20. Since the first andsecond housing halves - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30, since the first andsecond gears second housing halves FIG. 5 ). - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30, the rotation restricting mechanism (comprising thefirst cylinder protrusions 31 d, thesecond cylinder protrusions 32 d, the first ring recesses 33 a, the clickingring 35 protrusions, and thesecond ring 34 recesses) can temporarily restrict the rotation of the first andsecond gears second housing halves - In this digital camera, the first and
second housing halves image pickup unit 11 and thedisplay 21, respectively, are connected through the two-shaft hinge structure 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Thus, the twohousing halves shaft hinge structure 30 such that the inner surfaces of the first andsecond housing halves image pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 are provided, respectively, face each other in a close state (FIG. 3A ). Thus, theimage pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 are protected from being damaged. By rotating the twohousing halves hinge structure 30 through 180 degrees in opposite directions, theimage pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 can be exposed back to back with each other so as to face in opposite directions (FIG. 3B ). Thus, theimage pickup unit 11 and thedisplay unit 21 can be used for image pickup purpose. - The space between the first and
second shafts second housing halves second housing halves 10 and 20 (FIGS. 7A and 7B ). Thus, even when the twohousing halves shaft hinge structure 30, the adjacent ends of the two housing halves do not obstruct each other. - While in the embodiment the first and second spur gears 31 b and 32 b of the two-
shaft hinge structure 30 are illustrated as directly meshing with each other to rotate themselves simultaneously in opposite directions, the present invention is not limited to such specified structure. - For example, as shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B the digital camera may comprise an arrangement in which anintermediate bevel gear 36 is provided between, and in meshing relationship to, a first and a second bevel gear 31α and 32α that are in turn provided on the first and secondparallel shafts FIGS. 9A and 9B , two intermediate meshing spur gears 37 and 38 may be provided between, and in meshing relationship to, a first and a second spur 0gear 31β and 32β so as to rotate the first and second gears 31β and 32β simultaneously in opposite directions. - By employing the arrangements of
FIGS. 8A and 8B and 9A and 9B, the outer diameters of the first and second gears 31α, 31β and 32α, 32β are reduced. Thus, a space that houses the two-shaft hinge structure 30 is reduced. - (Embodiment 2)
- A
digital camera 1A of anembodiment 2 will be described with reference toFIG. 10 , which illustrates rotation of the housing halves of the camera. Thedigital camera 1A of this embodiment has the same structure as thedigital camera 1 of the first embodiment excluding that thedigital camera 1A is different in thickness, gear diameter and number of gear teeth from thecamera 1, and further description thereof will be omitted. - As shown in
FIG. 10A , thedigital camera 1A has a two-shaft hinge structure 30A that rotatably couples a first and asecond housing half digital camera 1A thefirst housing half 10A has three times the thickness of thesecond housing half 20A (“a” ofFIG. 10 ). - The two-
shaft hinge structure 30A comprises afirst shaft 31A fixed to thefirst housing half 10A along an edge of thefirst housing half 10A, afirst gear 31B provided on the outer periphery of thefirst shaft 31A, asecond shaft 32A fixed to thesecond housing half 20A along an edge of thesecond housing half 20A parallel to thefirst shaft 31A, and asecond gear 32B provided on the outer periphery of thesecond shaft 32A and meshing with thefirst gear 31B. Thefirst gear 31B has approximately twice the diameter of thesecond gear 32B (“a” ofFIG. 10 ). Thefirst gear 31B also has approximately twice the number of teeth of thesecond gear 32B. Thus, a rotational angle θc of thefirst gear 31B is approximately half of the rotational angle θd of thesecond gear 32B. - The rotational angles θc and θd of the first and
second gears second housing halves second housing halves FIG. 10 ). The angle θcd between the first andsecond housing halves FIG. 10 ). - In the two-
shaft hinge structure 30A of thisdigital camera 1A, the first andsecond gears second shafts second housing halves second housing halves second shafts - Thus, complicated operation to rotate the first and
second housing halves first housing half 10A can be rotated through 360 degrees relative to thesecond housing half 20A (“a”-“d” inFIG. 10 ). Since the first andsecond housing halves - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30, since the first andsecond gears second housing halves - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30A, the two gears (first andsecond gears - (Embodiment 3)
- Next, referring to
FIG. 11 , which is a plan view of thecellular phone 1B in an open state, a third embodiment of the present invention directed to a folding electronic apparatus and more particularly a foldingcellular phone 1B with a camera having a two-shaft hinge structure 30B will be described. - The
cellular phone 1B has a two-shaft hinge structure 30B that rotatably couples the first andsecond housing halves display unit 11B and animage pickup unit 21B, anoperation unit 22B, respectively. The components of thecellular phone 1B housed within the first andsecond housing halves - More particularly, the
first housing half 10B has thedisplay unit 11B that displays still images and an animation of an object, and aspeaker 12B. Thesecond housing half 20B has theimage pickup unit 21B composed of a lens and a CCD, theoperation unit 22B composed of a cross key and alphanumerical keys, amicrophone 23B and a control unit (not shown) that controls the wholecellular phone 1B. The control unit is connected electrically to theimage pickup unit 21B and theoperation unit 22B. The control unit is connected electrically to thedisplay unit 11B of thefirst housing half 10B through a FPC cable. - The two-
shaft hinge structure 30B comprises a first gear provided on a first shaft that is in turn provided on thefirst housing half 10B, a second gear provided on a second shaft that is in turn provided on thesecond housing half 20B and meshing with the first gear, and a rotation restricting mechanism. The two-shaft hinge structure 30B is substantially the same in composition as the two-shaft hinge structure 30 (FIGS. 1-6 ) of the first embodiment. - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30B, the first and second gears provided on the first and second shafts of the second andfirst housing halves second housing halves - Thus, a complicated structure to rotate the first and
second housing halves first housing half 10B is rotated through 360 degrees relative to thesecond housing half 20B. Since the first andsecond housing halves - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30B, the first and second gears have the same number of teeth and the same pitch. Thus, the first andsecond housing halves - In this two-
shaft hinge structure 30B, the rotation restricting mechanism temporarily restricts rotation of the first and second gears and hence the first andsecond housing halves - In this
digital camera 1B, the first andsecond housing halves display unit 11B and theimage pickup unit 21B, respectively, are connected through the two-shaft hinge structure 30B. Thus, the twohousing halves shaft hinge structure 30B such that the inner surfaces of the first andsecond housing halves display unit 11B and theimage pickup unit 21B are provided, respectively, face each other in a close state. Thus, thedisplay unit 11B and theimage pickup unit 21B are protected from being damaged. By rotating the twohousing halves hinge structure 30B through 180 degrees in opposite directions, thedisplay unit 11B and theimage pickup unit 21B can be exposed back to back with each other so as to face in opposite directions. Thus, thedisplay unit 11B and theimage pickup unit 21B can be used for image pickup purpose. - While in the above respective embodiments the folding
digital cameras cellular phone 1B with a camera in which the first and second housing halves are coupled rotatably through the two-shaft hinge structure are illustrated, the present invention is applicable to other folding image pickup apparatus (for example, folding PHSs (R) with a camera and folding PDAs with a camera) having structures similar to those of thedigital cameras cellular phone 1B with a camera. - Various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention. The above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention, not to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is shown by the attached claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the meaning of an equivalent of the claims of the invention and within the claims are to be regarded to be in the scope of the present invention.
- This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-187480 filed on Jun. 30, 2003 and each including specification, claims, drawings and summary. The disclosure of the above Japanese patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Claims (23)
1. A hinge structure comprising:
a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of a device;
a first gear provided on the first shaft;
a second shaft fixed to a second one of the housing halves; and
a second gear provided on the second shaft,
wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
2. The hinge structure of claim 1 , wherein the first gear meshes directly with the second gear.
3. The hinge structure of claim 1 , further comprising a third gear meshing with and between the first and second gears.
4. The hinge structure of claim 1 , further comprising a
support that supports the first and second shafts rotatably.
5. The hinge structure of claim 1 , further comprising a
rotation restricting mechanism that gives a user a feeling of clicking each time the first and second shafts rotate through a predetermined angle.
6. The hinge structure of claim 1 , wherein the first gear has the same number of teeth and the same pitch as the second gear.
7. The hinge structure of claim 1 , wherein the first gear has the same pitch as, but a different number of teeth from, the second gear.
8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of the apparatus, the first housing half having an image pickup unit provided thereon;
a first gear provided on the first shaft;
a second shaft fixed to a second one of the housing halves, the second housing half having a display unit provided thereon; and
a second gear provided on the second shaft,
wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
9. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first gear meshes directly with the second gear.
10. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , further
comprising a third gear meshing with and between the first and second gears.
11. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , further
comprising a support that supports the first and second shafts rotatably.
12. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , further
comprising a rotation restricting mechanism that gives a user a feeling of clicking each time the first and second shafts rotate through a predetermined angle.
13. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first gear has the same number of teeth and the same pitch as the second gear.
14. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first gear has the same pitch as, but a different number of teeth from, the second gear.
15. The image pickup apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and the second housing halves are rotatable through 360 degrees relative to each other such that the image pickup unit and the display unit are exposed on opposite outer surfaces of, or hidden inside by, the first and second housing halves.
16. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:
a first shaft fixed to a first one of housing halves of the apparatus, the first housing half having a key-in unit provided thereon;
a first gear provided on the first shaft;
a second shaft fixed to a second one of housing halves of the apparatus, the second housing half having a display unit provided thereon; and
a second gear provided on the second shaft,
wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear such that the first and second shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
17. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first gear meshes directly with the second gear.
18. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a third gear meshing with and between the first and second gears.
19. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a support that supports the first and second shafts rotatably.
20. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a rotation restricting mechanism that gives a user a feeling of clicking each time the first and second shafts rotate through a predetermined angle.
21. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first gear has the same number of teeth and the same pitch as the second gear.
22. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first gear has the same pitch as, but a different number of teeth from, the second gear.
23. The portable electronic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first and the second housing halves are rotatable through 360 degrees relative to each other such that the key-in unit and the display unit are exposed on opposite outer surfaces of, hidden inside by, the first and second housing halves.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2003187480A JP2005023955A (en) | 2003-06-30 | 2003-06-30 | Hinge structure, image pickup device and cellular phone device |
JP2003-187480 | 2003-06-30 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20050050686A1 true US20050050686A1 (en) | 2005-03-10 |
Family
ID=34186322
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/877,207 Abandoned US20050050686A1 (en) | 2003-06-30 | 2004-06-25 | Two-shaft hinge structure |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050050686A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2005023955A (en) |
KR (1) | KR20050002594A (en) |
CN (1) | CN1577046A (en) |
TW (1) | TWI255388B (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
TW200506486A (en) | 2005-02-16 |
TWI255388B (en) | 2006-05-21 |
JP2005023955A (en) | 2005-01-27 |
CN1577046A (en) | 2005-02-09 |
KR20050002594A (en) | 2005-01-07 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:KUROKAWA, TOMOYASU;REEL/FRAME:015526/0153 Effective date: 20040621 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |